Saving Grace
by starbuckfaerie21
Summary: When Grace's blind date goes horribly wrong, Will is there for her as always


**Saving Grace**:A_Will & Grace _fanfiction

**Timeline:** **AU **but remember the episode with the piano when you read it

**Summary**: After Grace's blind date goes horribly wrong, Will is there for her as always.

**Disclaimer**:_Will & Grace_ belongs to NBC and Mutchinick and Kohan.

**Rating: PG-13** for sexual situations and references and mild language.

_"And you will always have a part of me,_

_That nobody else is ever gonna see but you and me._

_My Gracie girl."_

-**Ben Folds**, _Gracie_

Will Truman reluctantly followed the always tipsy Karen Walker into the **NYU Auditorium for the Performing Arts** to see Jack's latest one man show **Jack 2006**, despite the fact that Grace was at home in their shared apartment getting ready to go on her first blind date since her break-up with Nathan. So he'd miss their traditional post-date gossip session where they sat on the couch with a large bowl of popcorn and a Lifetime movie of the week, whileGrace recalled in excruciating detail everything that had gone wrong on her date. Will rolled his eyes as the lights went dim and Jack took center-stage and Karen sat beside him mumbling something about a two-drink minimum.

Back at the apartment Grace checked her reflection in the bathroom mirror for the six-hundredth time. Will was usually there to give his opinion on her outfits before she went on dates and tonight she noticed his absence. Grace suddenly wished she were at Jack's show instead of where she was. She wore a dress that almost matched the shade of her fiery red curly hair with a low-cut front that left little to the imagination.

_"All I need is bigger boobs and a martini and I'd be Karen," _ Grace thought, suppressing her trademark snort as she laughed and pulled the bottle of wine from the fridge and went to answer the door for a very attractive stranger.

_"I saw him first,"_ she thought knowing that if Will had been there they'd both find him attractive. Grace took his coat and they exchanged polite small talk. As Grace poured herself a glass of red wine she thought that the date was off to a very good start indeed.

Midway through Jack's fifth Cabaret number, complete with kicks that would've made one of the Rockettes jealous, Will excused himself to check the messages on his cell phone.

"Get me another drink while you're on your feet, Wilma" Karen shouted audibly.

"Karen, for the last time, you're not even supposed to have drinks in here!" Will replied in a harsh whisper as people nearby started shushing them.

Two hours later, Karen's driver had miraclously been able to safely escort Will home while Jack and Karen continued the celebration until they reached the hotel that Karen called home.

There had been no messages from Grace beyond the one where she'd called to say that she'd successfully picked the spinach from her teeth. But Will didn't worry, he thought maybe Grace and her new guy had hit it off and were currently "rocking the Casbah."

As he came up the elevator and unlocked the door to apartment 9C, Will noticed that the apartment was dark and silent. Not at all what he'd expected.

_"They probably made wild love and fell asleep in each other's arms," _ Will thought just a little envious as he flipped on the light in the livingroom and tossed his black leather jacket over the back of the sofa.

"I'm not really here, I'm just Will, Grace's gay best friend and roommate, right Gracie?"

At that moment, Will noticed tiny shards of glass and a deep red stain across the center of the creme colored living room carpet.

"Grace, I just Scotch-Guarded the carpet! Did you have to spill the wine? It looks like you killed a vineyard in here!"

When there was no answer Will continued to rant, "You missed a great show tonight...about as great as Karen on a bad day... and by that I mean Karen without her pills. I don't know how many times Jack can put on the same show with a different name...What am I saying we're talking about Jack. So you haven't said a word since I got here."

Still no reply.

"Oh c'mon Grace, it couldn't have been that bad. I'll get the popcorn and you get the remote." Will said as he stepped toward what he assumed was Grace lying still on the sofa covered by a blanket. He shook her shoulder but her arm only hung limply over the sofa cushion. Will realized that Grace wasn't moving.

"Grace, this isn't funny anymore. What the hell is wrong with you tonight?"

As Will busied himself with the popcorn in the kitchen, he heard an almost inaudible groan that told him something was terribly wrong. The groan was actually Grace's voice.

"Will... help... me." She managed to whisper before losing consciousness.

Will ran back into the livingroom to the sofa and looked closely. It wasn't a blanket that covered Grace but her own dress torn to pieces to cover her badly beaten face. Her bra and panties were on inside out and a rivulet of bright red blood ran down her temple.

"Oh my God, Gracie!"

Hearing Will's familar voice brought Grace to semi-consciousness and she tried to sit up until she felt Will's comforting hand on the skin of her bare shoulder, which was sticky with spilt red wine.

"I'm right here, sweetie. I'm going to call 911. Everything's going to be okay." Will said as he held Grace's head gently on his shoulder.

A half hour later, Will sat waiting anxiously in the hospital's ER waiting room. After a moment he spotted Karen with Jack right behind her coming into the waiting room.

"We came as soon a we could. What's the big emergency?" Jack askedd before sitting down, grabbing a _Highlights _magazine and trying to find the toaster in the tree.

"Yeah, what's the what Wilma?"

"It's Grace. I came home and found her unconscious and half naked. I think the guy she met on the blind date raped her."

"Well honey, are you sure she didn't just have too much booze after getting a little frisky with the guy? I mean God knows I've woken up half-naked under Stanley a time or two."

" Karen, usually men don't leave after they sleep with someone and when I got home Grace was alone."

"Wow, it must not have been a very memorable experience, if you know what I mean." Jack said as he grew tired of looking for the toaster.

"Really you two now is not the time for your off color commentary now sit down and shut up!"

"Geez, somebody needs to get lucky, and speaking of off color who picked your outfit?"

"Now Jackie, be nice he's just upset about Grace."

"I know. Sorry about your hag Will."

Despite himself Will smiled and rose to his feet as he saw the doctor approaching.

"Are you waiting for news on Grace Adler?"

Will saw Karen go into flirt mode from across the room and responded quickly before Karen could grab his attention.

"Yes. How is she?"

"We've treated her physical injuries. The rape kit was positive but thankfully the pregnancy test was negative. I'll discharge her with some prescription sedatives and I'll get her some information on a support group. The police want a statement from her. Apparently this isn't the first incident in the area. The detectives left a card. She should give them a call in a day or two."

"Thank you doctor." Will said before disappearing into the ERcubicles and emerging with a badly bruised and visibly shaken Grace at his side.

"Oh honey, your hair looks even worse than usual. What's going on there?"

Despite her condition Grace smiled a little.

"Thanks Karen, I needed that."

"Anytime honey. You think you'll share your good pills with me?"

"I dunno Karen. Ask me again later."

"And you know she will." Will whispered in Grace's ear and she nodded and rested her head on his shoulder as they made their way to a cab.

"Well, honey what are you a Magic 8 Ball?"

When they got back to the apartment Grace looked around at the mess with astonishment.

"Oh Will! You just Scotch- Guarded the carpet!" She exclaimed just before she burst into tears. Will turned around and hugged Grace.

"I got a little emotional too at first." Grace managed to laugh and snort through her tears.

"Seriously, are you okay? Can I do anything? Get you anything?"

Grace rubbed her mascara smudged eyes with the back of her hand.

"No, thanks I'm just going to take a shower."

Will nodded, "Hey Grace, the police want a statement from you when you're ready. I'll go with you.. as your lawyer and your friend."

"Thanks Will."

He waved his hand nonchalantly but as she headed into the bathroom she saw tears welling in his eyes.

Will flipped through the channels for a while until he realized that the shower had been running for over an hour. He went to the bathroom and knocked softly.

"Gracie, if you don't come out of there you're going to wrinkle."

Will opened the door slightly and saw Grace standing in front of the bathroom mirror wrapped in a towel and clutching the **NYU** sweatshirt that Will had given her years before. Her skin was rubbed red and almost raw.

"If I were a straight man this would be a dream come true, but once again the beauty of a naked woman is complete lost on me."

Grace met Will's eyes and started crying.

"I'm so sorry this happened Gracie," Will said as he pulled Grace into his arms. "If I'd stayed home instead of going to Jack's show..."

"No Will, don't do that to yourself...And who do you think you're kidding we both know you couldn't fight anybody."

"I know. Sounded good though, didn't it?"

"Oh yeah."

"I thought so too."

Grace snorted as she laughed and Will left and finished cleaning up the mess in the living room. By the time Grace was dressed the glass shards and the wine stain were gone. It was tough on Will but he left the Scotch Guard for another day.

"You want some coffee?"

"Yeah, I might take one of the pills the hospital gave me. Unless Karen got her hands on them."

"She couldn't have I hid them. So how you doing?" Will asked as he poured the coffee.

"Some seconds are harder than others."

"It'll get better Gracie."

"When?"

"I don't know sweetie but you look exhausted. You should get some sleep."

"Yeah, I'm ready to forget this day ever happened. Thanks for everything Will."

"Grace, you know I'll always be here for you whatever happens."

"I know."

"Night."

"Night."

Later that night Will was awakened by the sound of Grace screaming. Immediately Will went across the hall to Grace's room. He walked in and found Grace in the middle of a nightmare. He started shaking her shoulder.

"Wake up Grace."

Grace mumbled somethingg in her sleep that Will couldn't understand.

"Gracie, it's okay. It's me, Will."

Grace opened her eyes.

"Will,I'm sorry if I woke you."

"Hey...hey...Don't worry about it, sweetie. You okay?" Will asked as he climbed into bed beside Grace.

"No. The only guys that are attracted to me are rapists and psychos. Am I that bad of a person?"

"Grace, this wasn't your fault."

"I know. It's just..."

"What?"

"Why can't I find a decent guy who loves me?"

Will smiled and started singing their song.

"Stop. I'll always love you..."

"Will, you can..."

"Stop, because I really love you..."

"Okay, let me rephrase that. Why can't I find a decent straight guy who loves me?"

At that Will stopped singing and turned to his best friend and kissed her forehead.

"You will Grace. One day you will. Until then you'll just have to put up with me."

"I wouldn't have it any other way." Grace replied with a smile.

_Finis_


End file.
